++SINGLE++ review by Rob Hastings
Rob Hastings brings us this entertaining review of the weeks singles, with tunes from Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys, The Electric Soft Parade and more
SINGLE OF THE WEEK: ARCTIC MONKEYS / FLUORESCENT ADOLESCENT
Even if you don’t think those four Arctic Monkeys are the best things to happen to pop this century (besides Gary Glitter being sent to rot in a Vietnamese prison of course), there’s no denying this is a pretty good song. Is it the best song on ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’? Perhaps even the best song they’ve ever made?
Maybe, but to be honest, I’m generally not all that fussed by the Monkeys myself, and so far I haven’t made it through their second album more than thrice without absent-mindedly putting it on pause at the half-way point to go and check the cricket score. Of course, that says more about me than the lads from Sheffield - but if even I can listen to this on repeat for an hour without going mad or falling asleep, it’s got to be good.
"Luke Pettipoole begins this song sounding like Thom Yorke on horse tranquilisers. "
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YOURCODENAMEIS: MILO / I’M IMPRESSED (V2)
In attempting to review a song you should always give it a fair crack of the whip before passing judgement. However, if you happen to notice a clear sense of claustrophobia creeping up on you the more times you hear it, there comes a time when you should just get it over and done with. With an annoying riff and an awkward, jarring rhythm, I never want to go near this particular iron lung of a tune again.
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THE ENVY CORPS / WIRES AND WOOL (MERCURY) The Envy Corps – Wires And Wool (Mercury Records)
Luke Pettipoole begins this song sounding like Thom Yorke on horse tranquilisers. And given that he hasn’t thought to swap his rather quaint surname for something more evocative of the “let’s fucking ‘ave it” school of rock music, this low-key beginning shouldn’t be too surprising. However, after a few seconds he remembers that he does have a pulse after all, and ‘Wires And Wool’ kicks into action nicely, albeit in a way that will please Doves fans. A promising and catchy single.
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BLOC PARTY / HUNTING FOR WITCHES (WICHITA)
If Johnny Borrell thinks ‘America’ is a political statement, that tune is but a pimple on David Cameron’s pink, poncey nose compared to the full-blown manifesto contained in Kele Okereke’s lyrics. Slagging off the Daily Mail and taking issue with the right-wing media’s knee-jerk reaction whenever terrorists decide to let ‘bombs explode on the 30 bus’ certainly makes for the most relevant of themes for a single today, if not the most exciting. Thankfully, Bloc Party have not forgetten to put some actual music in alongside their liberal protests. The cool angular guitar lines should please scenesters of all political persuasions.
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THE ELECTRIC SOFT PARADE / MISUNDERSTANDING (TRUCK)
“Electric Soft Parade make pleasant, dreamy single” would never make a newspaper headline - because it’s bleedin’ obvious that these Teenage Fanclub acolytes are going to make something pleasant and dreamy. But if you want something nice to doze to on a summer afternoon, at least you know who to turn to.
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THE HOURS / ALI THE THE JUNGLE (EMI)
The Rolling Stones showed with ‘Sympathy For The Devil’ that, with a little thought, throwing some historical imagery into your lyrics can make for some extraordinary songwriting. With ‘Ali In The Jungle’, The Hours show it can also make for the musical equivalent of coming down to breakfast to find that during the night your cat has left a putrid pool of piss on your best rug. Ostensibly an ode to getting back on your feet after being knocked down, this song culminates in the most inexcusably awful line of the year: ‘Ludwig van, how I loved that man / Well the guy went deaf and didn’t give a damn’. Unlike Mick Jagger, lead singer Antony Genn isn’t claiming he’s the devil, but surely only Beelzebub would wish to inflict this upon our ears.
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ZICO CHAINS / ANAEMIA (HASSLE RECORDS)
All hustle and bustle grunge-by-numbers this one, built on rather more brawn than brain. Despite its name, there’s plenty of red-blooded riffage behind this track, so give it a go if that’s your bag. If not, well, it’s your time, so spend it as you please. Class dismissed.
++ Rob Hastings ++
Artrocker rating: 3
at Live Earth were oooooh. Kele got very carried away with the "we can do it wembley! we can change ther world!" vibe.
If you enter 'Kele' into the enigma machine coding thing used in World War II, you get 'Bono'... coincidence? I think not...
The newest sounds as heard in the Artrocker Office and our Resonance FM podcast.
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Hmmm...
I like yourcodenameis: milo. The rest can all fuck off as far as I'm concerned. Yep.